JLS get set for Thomond Park debut

BOYBAND JLS, along with fellow X-Factor competitor Olly Murs and up-and-comers The Kixx are coming to Limerick this Sunday to play a massive gig in Thomond Park in front of thousands of fans.

BOYBAND JLS, along with fellow X-Factor competitor Olly Murs and up-and-comers The Kixx are coming to Limerick this Sunday to play a massive gig in Thomond Park in front of thousands of fans.

The home of Munster rugby, which has played host to Elton John, Rod Stewart, Pink and Bob Dylan in recent years, will play host to the X-Factor double act and excitement is rife in local music circles at the imminent arrival of JLS - made up of Aston Merrygold, Marvin Humes, JB Gill and Oritse Williams - for this Sunday’s show in the renowned stadium, for what will be a fully outdoor show.

The band are currently riding high as one of the biggest boybands around, and have sold millions of singles and albums since they appeared on the X-Factor in 2008, where they were also runners-up on the smash hit television programme which is regularly watched by audiences of 20 million people.

Speaking to City Life earlier this year, the band expressed their delight at being asked to perform in the venue.

“This will be the biggest venue that we are doing on the tour. It is huge. It is amazing, incredible - an honour,” said Marvin.

“I suppose the equivalent for us is playing Wembley Stadium - it is of that stature and it is a real honour and we can’t wait to come back and put on a great show. So many great artists have performed before, Pink and Elton John and acts like that, so we have big acts to follow,” he added.

“For us, we like to have firsts within the group, that is what we always try to do, to have as many firsts and achievements as we can, and when we have come to Ireland in the past, we have come to Dublin, or Belfast in Northern Ireland, so for us it is about breaking that curve and going to other places,” explained Aston.

“We thought it would be nice to break out of the main city - Dublin - and perform down here as well,” he added.

City Life can reveal that joining the band and Olly Murs on the bill will be exciting newcomers The Kixx, who have already performed in front of 40,000 people, been offered industry advice by Robbie Williams himself, played the 02 Arena in London and toured with Murs across the UK.

The band claim to be not ‘just another boy-band’, instead writing their own lyrics, creating their own music and playing their own instruments.

“We’re a real band,” says Jack of The Kixx. “Not manufactured. It’s always just been us. We’ve worked hard for this”.

“We’ve learned how to write a song the hard way,” says bandmate Dave. “Not just any song – a good song, one fit for an album or fit for radio.”

Concert promoter Peter Aiken has promised fans “a pop extravaganza”. DJs from Spin South West will also be playing between the acts, warming up the crowd, which is expected to be close to capacity.

See inside for an interview with the band.

Tickets are on sale from Ticketmaster outlets, including Euro Empire on O’Connell Street. Tickets are priced at €40 and €48. Gates open at 5pm.

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